White smoke

[Paul0203]

Hi all,
Newbie 1980 CJ7 owner here. Mine came with a AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l per VIN, but has a AMC 304 2bbl now. Get white smoke from side exhaust when engine is hot. I have not yet replaced valve cover gaskets or valve stem seals. Any advice appreciated!!!

Paul

 

[mtnwhlr]

White smoke is water you may have a head gasket leaking or a cracked head.

 

[Old Dog]

I agree. White is water.

 

[coldair]

You can tell if it's anti freeze by the way it smells. If it's sweet smelling it's antifreeze if it stinks like burned oil well lol it's burned oil.

 

[mtnwhlr]

You can tell if it's anti freeze by the way it smells. If it's sweet smelling it's antifreeze if it stinks like burned oil well lol it's burned oil.

If it's oil it would be blue not white.

 

[coldair]

Out from under the hood? Not the exhaust? I've dumped oil on my manifolds it burns off white maybe I'm color blind lol

 

[mtnwhlr]

He said it is out of his side exhaust. Smoke out of the exhaust is white water blue oil and black gas.

 

[coldair]

O sorry I miss read thought it was coming from off the manifold. My bad yes blue from the exhaust is oil white is water.

 

[Paul0203]

Update....looks like just the driver's side. I am going to change valve cover gasket and valve stem gaskets also. Hoping the smoke is from main seal leak???

Paul

 

[Old Dog]

Update....looks like just the driver's side. I am going to change valve cover gasket and valve stem gaskets also. Hoping the smoke is from main seal leak???

Paul

If the smoke is from out of the exhaust it would not be from the valve cover or the main seal, they would just leak out not into the cyclinder.
It could be the valve seals though. Or worse the rings.